Re: "To
light . . ." phrases

: : : : : : Any
idea as to the origin of the phrasal verb "to light into"? Thanks in advance for
any help.

: : : : : I'll have to research the origin. The meaning is to fight
someone -- go at him/her with fists flying.

: : : : : Agreed with ECS and not
sure of origin, but of course, "to light out" has a different meaning, as in to
leave, head out or depart in a hurry.

: : : I wonder if there's a connection
with "to light" in one of its more archaic senses, meaning to affect unexpectedly.
It may be that, when you originally "lit into" someone, you were doing something
unprovoked and unforeseen.

: : I couldn't find that sense in the OED. "Light
into" isn't there either.

: This from the American Heritage Dictionary (and
yes, the irony of the Brit's quoting from that august tome, as compared to Ms.
Berg's quoting from the hallowed pages of the unsurpassed OED has not escaped
me :):-

: LIGHT.

: INTRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: light·ed or lit ( lt),
light·ing, lights
: 1. To get down, as from a vehicle or horse; dismount.
:
2. To descend to the ground after flight; land. 3. To come upon one unexpectedly:
Misfortune lighted upon him.
: 4. To come upon by chance or accident. Used
with on or upon: lit on the perfect solution to the problem.

: PHRASAL VERBS:
: Light into Informal To attack verbally or physically; assail.
: Light
out Informal To leave hastily; run off.
:
Oh, the OED has "to light on"
as in the misfortune example, all right, but that isn't "to light into." The two
phrases seem cognitively far apart. Misfortune lights on a person as a fly lights
on a sandwich (here, I think, light = alight; = settle). That's pretty different
from "light into," with its air of intrusive assault.